I received a press release today pertaining to the Fit Kids Act. This legislation is meant to modify No Child Left Behind and is asking for quality physical education. Readers of this blog will be very interested in this information. Click here for the press release.
Archive for the ‘Policy’ Category
Fit Kids Act
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010Opting out of Physical Education Class
Saturday, February 6th, 2010Receiving credit for physical education through ROTC or marching band has been a hot topic in California lately.
Here is an interesting article from the Orlando Sentinel on opting out of physical education. Just the title alone caught my attention. It is titled “Tens of thousands of Florida kids opt out of gym class.” It reminds me of when a student asks me if we have gym today. My response is usually something like this, “No, we have physical education class today. The gym is a building.”
Opting out of physical education seems like a backward trend. Lets hope these students get good jobs some day. They’ll need some money to hire personal trainers when they find they don’t have the tools to stay healthy and fit.
A colleague of mine once had the following quote in a PowerPoint. It makes so much sense.
“In the great work of education, our physical condition, if not the first step in point of importance, is the first order of time. On the broad band and firm foundation of health alone, can the loftiest and most enduring structure of intellect be reared.” — Horace Mann
Health Care, Physical Education & Physical Activity
Saturday, October 17th, 2009By John Kruse
I’ve recently advocated that more quality physical education can help in the prevention of excessive health care costs. Today, I found an interview with Newt Gingrich. In it, he explains the importance of physical education, nutrition and physical activity in attempting to curb health care costs.
Q: What should be the approach on health care?
A: I think you need a totally new approach. I think you need to start with the individual, you’ve got to focus on individual responsibility, on wellness, on early testing, on learning to manage chronic diseases. You have to focus on fundamental change.
We just got into a little argument in upstate New York on a school district that was going to block kids from riding their bicycle or walking (to school.) We wrote a letter and got in the middle of it and said this is exactly wrong, you want kids to walk to school, you want kids to ride their bikes to school. You want to have K through 12 physical education, you want to rethink the school lunch program and the school breakfast program so that it’s good food for diabetics.
Then you have to look at the delivery systems. You have two hospitals (in Wheeling.) You need to apply the Toyota production system model, the work of Drucker … the best systems in America are just amazingly effective and much less expensive. We have to move to that. We can’t afford to pay unnecessarily because we have to be able to compete with China and India and you cannot do that if you start out every morning with a multi-billion dollar burden.
Read the rest of the interview here. Unfortuntely, the above quote is the extent of the interview having to do with physical education and health care. In any case, its good to see a politician advocating for what we do.
Obama’s Address to Congress–A Physical Educator’s Perspective
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009By John Kruse
I watched President Obama’s health care reform address to Congress tonight. While Obama gives a good speech, I was disheartened by the fact that Mr. Obama seems intent on saving money, however, the only prevention that was mentioned was mammograms and colonoscopies.
Obama stated in his plan, “insurance companies will be required to cover, with no extra charge, routine checkups and preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies — because there’s no reason we shouldn’t be catching diseases like breast cancer and colon cancer before they get worse. That makes sense, it saves money, and it saves lives.” Instead, why not require the measurement of body mass index? Its a heck of a lot less invasive and certainly cheaper. In fact, we know that a person at the 85 percentile or higher is at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Obama also stated that, “…our health care system is placing an unsustainable burden on taxpayers.” Is it really our system? The CDC reports that the economic cost of obesity and overweight nationally is $147 billion annually. Obesity and overweight contributes to risk for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and orthopedic problems. The only way to prevent obesity is through education. I saw Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, in the audience. Hasn’t Mr. Duncan given any input? After-all, Mr. Duncan is a fit looking former basketball player whose wife is a former physical educator. Why wasn’t education mentioned in Obama’s plan? We need to hear the president talking about health-related fitness–not colonoscopies. $147 billion annually seems like a lot of money. In fact, Obama says his plan is only going to cost $900 billion over ten years. Something doesn’t add up.
Obama also stated that his plan, “will provide insurance to those who don’t (have it).” Does anyone else find this troubling? Doesn’t this send the message that a person can gain as much weight as they want, smoke, eat poorly and sit on the couch and the government will still give this person health insurance? It seems to me that fear of not getting health insurance due to poor health should provide at least some incentive to take care of oneself.
The president elaborated, “It’s a plan that asks everyone to take responsibility for meeting this challenge — not just government and insurance companies, but employers and individuals.” If that’s the case, why not ask the individual to be responsible for their health? Perhaps a big part of the reason why insurance premiums have gone up three times faster than wages is due to the fact that in the United States, obesity prevalence doubled among adults between 1980 and 2004.
Obama is severley mistaken if he thinks he’s going to save this country from it woes by fixing health care. Obesity and overweight has a strangle hold on the health of this nation. What we really need is physical education reform. Lets lighten up the emphasis on testing in the core academic subjects and put an emphasis on physical education again. Physical education is not an academic issue, its a health issue.
More on Health and Reform
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009By John Kruse
I’ve written a fair amount lately about how futile any health care reform will be if we don’t fix the obesity epedimic in this country. Today, I came across yet another person who shares this belief. Colin Horgan in an article titled “Health Care and Education: Let’s Get Physical” writes:
The fact of that matter is that if any kind of reform of the US health system is to be successful, it will rely on this generation being healthier than the last. The Boomers and Gen X’ers will apply untold pressure on any kind of health system, no matter how good it is, and having a fatter, sicker generation follow isn’t going to help anybody, no matter where they land on the political spectrum.
Horgan also points out a number of statistics on obesity that aren’t likely to surprise the readers of this blog. Lets hope that politicians in Washington wake up to the fact its time to reform America’s waistlines. Doing so will require education. America’s physical educators are more important than ever.
Health Care Reform, Nutrition & Physical Education
Sunday, September 6th, 2009By John Kruse
My interest in the current debate on health care reform has me surfing the Internet lately in an attempt to learn the latest information. In doing so, I came across a very interesting article by Dr. Frank Lipman in the Huffington Post. The title of the article is “True Health Reform–10 Missing Pieces.” In this article Dr. Lipman suggests that Washington is “barking up the wrong tree.”
They’re busy arguing about what amounts to health insurance reform, while what this country needs is true health care reform.
The readers of this blog will find it interesting that of the 10 missing pieces listed by Dr. Lipman, three relate directly to physical education and nutrition in the schools.
Dr. Lipman’s number one missing piece is “invest in educating the public in self care.” As physical education teachers and health teachers, we specialize in this. Health related fitness is a reoccurring theme in our state content standards and health teachers specialize in prevention and making correct decisions. This leads me to believe that more money should be spent in physical education and health. Perhaps a federal stimulus package for physical education and health could save this country more in the long run instead of bailing out corporations that just don’t get it.
“Educating doctors and other health care practitioners in nutrition, exercise, stress reduction techniques and natural remedies” is number three on Dr. Lipman’s list. I’d like to think that physical educators and health educators are health care practitioners. This means that money should be spent on professional development that is sustained over time, standards based and meets the needs of students.
Number seven on Dr. Lipman’s list is “feed our children healthily and educate them responsibly.” I wholeheartedly agree with this one. I’m appalled at what I see being served to children at my school. School lunches need a serious overhaul.
Serve fresh unprocessed food for school lunches, food that’s nutritious instead of just cheap and convenient. Eliminate junk food and soda vending machines from all schools (and while we are at it, from all public buildings and airports).
In addition, Dr. Lipman addresses physical education directly in this one.
Don’t eliminate physical education programs from the schools as is happening now with budget cuts.
While we’re at it, I’d like to add that much of this country needs to reduce physical education class sizes.
Finally, Dr. Lipman’s conclusion hits the nail on the head.
Focusing only on how people can get access to costly disease treatment, without having the more important discussion about how lifestyle changes can be implemented to prevent these diseases in the first place, is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We will simply be perpetuating a flawed and costly health care model. For the sake of not only our personal health, but also for the financial health of the nation, we must address the causes that underlie the prevalence of chronic disease that we are experiencing. Unless we address why people are getting sick or the underlying mechanisms of their illnesses, our system will lack a solid foundation. Unless we change our disease care model to a true health care system, we are bound to both overpay and underachieve in the long run.
To read the article, click here.
Other health care reform articles on FitMet:
Health Care Reform and Obesity
More on Health Care Reform & Obesity–How Do We Reduce Costs?
Eight Helpful Hints for using Pedometers
Saturday, July 18th, 2009By Matthew Basset
Part 2 of a 4 part series.
After purchasing pedometers you should spend a lot of time learning how to use them yourself. After you’ve become familiar with this new piece of technology, you should think about teaching cues that will be necessary.
Here are some helpful hints to think about:
- Storage. Make sure that you use a storage system for your pedometers. You can use a pedometer storage chart that can be purchased from a physical education catalog or you can use a tackle box from a local fishing supply store. The key is to have the storage organized (and even numbered) so that the students know exactly where their pedometer belongs.
- Markings. Make sure you have the pedometers marked. This will not only allow for the storage to be organized but it will also allow you to find out who hasn’t turned in their pedometer. No one will admit to having lost a pedometer or that they forgot to put the pedometer in the storage box. Knowing that the pedometers have marked numbers on them will allow you to find the missing pedometer and, more importantly, know who was responsible.
- Distribution. A teacher must have a way to pass out and collect the pedometers. This still goes with the storage system but if you have one long line of students waiting for the pedometers you might be wasting valuable time.
- Tracking of data. You need to know how you are going to track the data. Will you have a master sheet for yourself? Will the students write down their scores on their own tracking sheets? You can save yourself some trouble by not having the data recorded the first few times.
- Placement. A teacher must teach the pedometer placement. A student should wear the pedometer on the waistband or belt above their right knee. Having pedometers secured on their right sides will allow you to see if a pedometer has dropped accidentally. Some students will need to move their pedometers around the waist to the side to pick up more movement. These are all things that a few class periods of practice can help students work out.
- Responsibility. A student must be taught to be responsible for the pedometer. This not only includes putting the pedometer away at the end of class but also includes how to use a safety strap with an alligator clip. These straps are designed to help avoid a pedometer being lost from dropping of the waist.
- No touching. Students need to avoid touching the pedometer while in the middle of class. Most of the students will want to look at their scores. The pedometers will not gather data while it is open, at least not effectively. Also, students can use their hands to hit the pedometer and cause the pedometer to count steps when the student is not moving. Not only should we be teaching about personal responsibility and integrity but a teacher needs to have a rule to not touch or the student will lose the pedometer. A student should NEVER take the pedometer off of their waist band until the end of class when it is time to return the pedometer to the storage system.
- Instructional time. Using the pedometer data can be a very helpful tool for the teacher. In a typical class period how much do you talk? This time talking is time that a student isn’t moving. If you are able to use a pedometer that tracks activity time it can help a teacher determine if they are getting the most out of their students. After realizing that a majority of my students were not moving for 20 minutes of my class period it was time for me to reflect on how to change my teaching practices.
Body Massachusetts Index & BMI Issues
Sunday, June 28th, 2009By John Kruse
Recently, Massachusetts stipulated that measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI) will be required in grades one, four, seven and ten in public schools. This new requirement is an attempt to do something about rising obesity rates in children. The program is slated to start this fall and was decided upon by the Massachusetts’ Public Health Council.
BMI is calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by height (in meters) squared. Required BMI screenings are certainly controversial. Critics often cite the shortcomings of the measurement with various ethnic groups. For this reason, the FITNESSGRAM assessment uses a criterion that is much more forgiving than the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) popular norm-referenced growth charts.
A recent study published in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that one in four preschoolers (4-year-olds) in the US are obese. The cut-off point to determine obesity was a BMI at the 95th percentile. According to the CDC’s growth charts a BMI at the 95th percentile for girls and boys is considered obese. Interestingly, the FITNESSGRAM criteria starts at 5-years-old (i.e.: they don’t have a standard for below age 5) and a BMI at the 95th percentile (approximately a BMI of 18) falls within FITNESSGRAM’s “Healthy Fitness Zone.” In other words, who are we to believe? CDC standards say these youngsters are obese. FITNESSGRAM standards suggest these children are healthy (assuming their BMI remains the same at age 5).
Other issues with BMI exist for individuals with athletic builds and a high percentages of muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat and its not uncommon for these individuals to have BMI scores suggesting they are overweight or obese. These issues will usually only pertain to adults since children haven’t experienced the hormonal changes necessary to build a significant amount of muscle mass.
While Massachusetts is requiring BMI screenings, they will also allow parents to opt out of the measurement. Perhaps parents in Massachusetts should be given the option of skin-fold measures of body composition due to the shortcomings of BMI. After all, if overall health is the objective, why not use a measurement that is calibrated off the gold standard–hydrostatic weighing.
Additional note: Check out FitMet’s free BMI Calculator and embed it on you website.
References:
http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts.htm
Sarah E. Anderson; Robert C. Whitaker. Prevalence of Obesity Among US Preschool Children in Different Racial and Ethic Groups. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2009;163(4):344-348.
Georgia Likely to Add Required Fitness Testing
Monday, March 23rd, 2009By John Kruse
Last week, Georgia’s Senate voted 34-14 to require annual fitness testing for students starting in 2011/2012. The proposal has now been sent to the state’s governor for final approval.
If approved, Georgia will join a list of other states who already require annual fitness testing. California, for example, requires physical fitness testing in grades 5, 7 and 9.
According to an article in The Daily Citizen, the new version of legislation did away with proposed twice yearly weigh-ins that would be used to measure body mass index and instead forces school districts to come up with an annual fitness assessment.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Will school districts choose the popular FITNESSGRAM or President’s Challenge fitness assessments? Or, will they instead create their own assessment?
The Daily Citizen article also points out that the idea is to reward students who attain the new benchmark. This is where things get really interesting!
School districts will have a tough decision in establishing this benchmark since FITNESSGRAM’s standard, known as the “Healthy Fitness Zone,” is cirterion based and spans approximately the 20th to 60th percentiles. This means that students would only have to reach the 20th percentile to be in the “Healthy Fitness Zone” and achieve the benchmark. The President’s Challenge, on the other hand, uses a more rigorous norm-reference where students can strive for awards at either the 50th or 85th percentiles in all five tests.